ACC is to axe funding for health and safety training by the Council of Trade Unions and Business NZ because it considers it has not delivered value for money.

A spokeswoman said the decision was taken late last year, but it was made public only today after a lobby group revealed internal criticisms of the scheme.

ACC paid the CTU, Business NZ and private firm Impac Services a total of $1.5 million last year to train health and safety representatives. The fee amounts to about $360 for each person trained.

It was known that the scheme, set up in 2003, was under review after ACC Minister Judith Collins questioned its rationale last October.

"It's not clear to me whether the provision of free training services for big business to carry out their legal obligation is a good or fair use of levy payers' money," she said.

ACC spokeswoman Stephanie Melville revealed today that the scheme would be axed when the current contracts expired.

"While the training programme did provide some value, it did not meet our level of expectations, nor deliver value for money."

CTU secretary Peter Conway said unions had signed a contract to the end of 2014, worth about $700,000 a year. He was surprised ACC was so definitive in saying the scheme would end, although the CTU knew it was under review.

Under new health and safety law, prompted by the Pike River tragedy and the subsequent royal commission, onsite representatives would have new powers and would need to be trained.

"We would not expect to see any reduction in training - in fact an increase - but the model may change," Conway said.

Feedback from workers and businesses on the existing scheme had been positive.